The Return of Pandora s Box
by Nalahime
Summary: A story that takes place after the story of the game, about a little adventure of Aeron and his son Allen, who gets kidnapped. T-rated for the violence. Just maybe though... Got to be on the save side, right?
1. Prologue - Happiness

**A/N: Alright everyone! I´d like to give a big THANK YOU! to my friend here on FanFic. Net Da Amazing Po-po-pony for helping me to re-edit this story! Thanks!^^ **

**I hope you will like the slightly improved version, too and wish everybody else fun as well! See you, Nalahime!**

* * *

**Prologue**

**Happiness**

* * *

The Oraclos Chain trembled and moved a little bit upwards, out of the box it was resting in. A tremor was felt at the same time. A bad sign...

The old woman, sitting a bit away from the box, fixated the chain with her yellow eyes, until it fell back into place, where it stayed silent again. Then the old woman laughed quietly, moving towards the chain.

Again did she fixate the holy object of her tribe, that was left in her care, with her eyes.

"What is wrong? Has the time come for you once more to awaken? Tee he he!"

The chain moved again, as if to answer the Vestran-woman.

"Tee he he... I see. Well then! It seems we have to travel one more time, my boy."

She looked at the strange, old man bound to her back.

"%&$?!/!"

Was the answer she received from him.

"Yes, yes! I know. But who knows, if he would be willing to help us once more...?"

* * *

Elena sighed satisfied. What a wonderful day it was today... Nothing could break her good mood. Absolutely nothing! She turned around and... looked at a little boy of about six, seven years with torn clothes, red-brown eyes and golden hair.

Nothing, was it?

She sighed and shook her head. The boy looked depressed on the ground, playing with his fingers and looking apologizing upward towards his mother.

"Allen... Did I not tell you to be careful, young man?" she said, scolding him.

Silent he nodded his head, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. He knew exactly how well that on her worked to keep her calm - just like his father.

Elena grumbled into herself. When he looked at her like that, she just couldn´t be really mad at him. Allen looked too much like his father. Only the eye color was like hers. He even had a similar personality to his fathers: Quiet, not saying much, but gentle, kind and strong. Only that he immediately asked if something interested him, was not like her husband.

"Are you hurt somewhere, Allen?" she asked him, her voice full of concern for her little boy.

He shook his head.

"At least something. Then come, we´re going inside, getting you washed and your clothes fixed, shall we?" Elena said, smiling and extending her hand towards her son.

Allen smiled and took his mothers hand, walking with her towards the little house his father had build for them, a little outside of the village, where his mother had been born. He liked the house, of course. Just like everything else his father had made or would make. For him was his father his hero, just like for his mother.

Once stepped into the house the first thing one saw, was a big room with a wooden table and six chairs in the middle. A few shelves, with tableware, on the opposite wall of the entrance. To the right was a little kitchen and in the upper right corner a door to his parents room. To the left was first a door to the bath, then a shelf with pictures and a door to his own room. Directly beside the entrance was some kind of sofa, where they spent the evenings playing and laughing.

His father actually wanted to have a fireplace as well, but had failed at building one. Although Allen that fact just ignored. Who cared about a fireplace? His father was amazing nonetheless.

"Okay, young man! You´re going into the bath at once and are waiting for me there. I am going to get the water. Understood?" Elena said, cheerfully.

Allen nodded and ran into the bath. Inside he closed the door, went to the bathtub and began to already undress himself. While he did this, his mother came in and filled the bathtub with warm water.

"In you go!"

She grabbed him under his arms and heaved him over the wall of the tub, into the water.

Then she took the sponge and soap to rub over his skin and washed the bubbles with the water off. She repeated that a few times, until she decided that her son was clean enough.

She then clothed him into a thick bath towel and heaved him over the bathtub once more. The boy rubbed himself dry and smiled at his mother, who smiled praisingly back.

"Go and put something on your feet and then take the blanket on the sofa to keep yourself warm, okay? It´s going to take a while for me this time to fix your clothes."

He nodded and ran out of the room. Elena smiled happily. He was so much like...

She heard how the entrance door was opened and then closed. An even brighter smile appeared on her face and she went into the living room.

"Daddy!" Allen yelled, happily.

Allen, with socks on his feet and still clothed into the towel, ran towards his father, who had just came home. The man, with short, golden-blond hair and dark eyes, let his bag fall to the ground and heaved his son onto his strong arms. He looked at him and laughed.

"Did you trouble your mother again, Allen?" the blond man asked with a teasing smile.

With a little guilt in the eyes, the boy looked at his well-build father and nodded slightly.

"Yes, he did, just like his father always troubles me."

The man looked up and to his wife, who stood now before him. He smiled at her and his eyes turned even gentler than they already were. His free hand moved tenderly over her right cheek and through a few strains of her silver hair.

"Well, at least can I take a bath on my own, right?" he said, chuckling.

She laughed, stood on her toes and kissed him.

"Welcome home, Aeron!"


	2. Chapter 1 - Kidnapped Hope

**Chapter 1**

**Kidnapped Hope**

* * *

Aeron sat relaxed on the sofa and stretched his body out. How nice it was to have a free day... Not that he didn´t like to work, but he felt a little uneasy lately and was glad to be with his family.

"How long are you going to laze around, Aeron? Our son is already asking if he can do the same as his dad, instead of helping me."

Slowly he opened one of his closed eyes and looked at Elena, who tried not to smile, but just could not differently. Aeron smiled back and then opened his other eye as well.

"I am standing up right now. Should I bring you some firewood for the oven?" he asked his wife.

She nodded and let herself fall beside himself. Cuddling herself onto him, her head rested on his chest. He let out a relaxed sigh and wrapped his arms around her. She had her eyes closed and listened to his calm heartbeat.

How often was she calmed down through this sound? Aeron was everything she needed... well, almost if there wouldn´t be...

"I want to cuddle, too!" their son yelled, cheerful.

Allen ran towards his parents and climbed on the sofa, he then hugged his father and did not let go anymore. Aeron laughed, released one arm from his beloved wife and put one around his son.

Now they sat there: Aeron in the middle, left Elena, right Allen and both with their heads on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He closed his eyes and sighed once more. He simply loved these two... But could one really say "simple" together with the word "love"?

Well, there was no other feeling than that, so he guessed it was alright. Those two were his everything...

* * *

Woken by a crushing loud noise, Aeron jumped out of the bed and grabbed his sword, he had out of habit, right beside the bed and ran out of the room, telling Elena while running to stay there. After that noise everything stayed silent. Nothing seemed wrong in the living room and his heart cramped while he was walking towards his sons room. A bad premonition came over him and he opened slowly the door where he remained. Shocked...

"Aeron...?" Elena´s voice trembled, uncertain and a bit afraid.

He heard Elena´s quiet footsteps behind him, felt her hand touching his back ,while his sword glided out of his hand and fell with an abnormally loud sound to the ground. He could not believe it. There was a huge whole at the ceiling, broken wood and stone scattered everywhere, but no sign of who should be here. Aeron felt how Elena began to tremble. He took her hand and they stepped together into the room.

"Allen...?, "she almost whispered, then she began to yell his name. "Allen, where are you?!"

They looked everywhere hoping to find their unconscious little boy somewhere, but they found nothing... Only the huge hole remained...

Elena fell on her knees, trembling, then crying and sobbing. Allen was gone...

Aeron took her into his arms, wrapped them around her, like a wall. His son was gone. Was he killed by that something, which had crashed into their house? Or...?

* * *

The next morning Aeron went once more through the rubbish in the room of his son. He had brought Elena to her family, where she slept quietly now, after she had cried her eyes out at his shoulder the whole night. He could not cry... He was far too angry! With whatever had done this and himself. He doubted that he could have done anything back then, but still... That feeling of despair and self torment would not fade.

"I see... I am too late it seems." a voice said from behind him.

Aeron turned around with his sword gripped tightly and looked at an old woman. His eyes widened, while he still stared at the old Vestra.

"It´s been a while, hasn´t it, Aeron? I see you are still practicing your skills with weapons. Tee he he!"

"M-Mavda! What are you doing here?!" Aeron shouted, surprised.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend you haven´t seen for about six years? So typical... Tee he he!"

Mavda smiled at him, while he still couldn´t believe it that the old Vestran-woman stood here before him.

"Anyway... I am actually here to warn you about something, but if I look around me, I guess I am too late. Is Elena gone, Aeron?" seriously she looked into his eyes.

He shook his head, denying.

"No... No, not Elena, but... But our son, Allen."

Mavda raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Your son? Tee he he! You two didn´t need long for that, did you?"

Aeron blushed a little and looked at her a bit angry.

"I know, I know... It´s a crisis, right? Fine."

"So you knew something like this would happen?" Aeron looked curiously at Mavda.

"Hmhm... Your son was kidnapped, Aeron." Mavda nodded her head gravely.

"Kidnapped? By who?" the blond asked frantically, his mind turning upside-down, full with questions.

Who would kidnap their, his son? Some athosian soldiers maybe? Because they were angry over his so called betrayal? Was there someone else he knew, who hated him?

"More like, by what? I can only tell you that what ever it is, is in the thirteen towers." Mavda said with a sinister voice, tearing Aeron out of his thoughts.

"The towers? They´ve reappeared?!"

Mavda nodded her head. That was all the answer Aeron needed, but she went on.

"I do not know why, nor who is responsible for it, but they are there. Luckily without the scar. They are just hovering in midair where they were before. Quite eerie, if I say so myself. "

Aeron looked at the ground. He had hoped to never see those accursed towers again. He clenched his hands into fists and looked determined to Mavda.

"I will go once more. I don´t care what it is, as long as I get it! No one hurts my family without getting a payment from me! And no one steals my son from me and gets away with it, either!"

"Tee he he! That´s the spirit! Well then. If you don´t mind an old lady like me tagging along once again, I´d be happy to accompany you."

Aeron nodded.

"Good. Shall we go to Elena then? I don´t think she´d appreciate it, if her husband disappears all of a sudden without another word, too. Tee he he!" Mavda said with a teasing grin.

* * *

When Aeron arrived, together with Mavda, Elena was as surprised as he had been. She hugged the old lady warmly and could even bring herself to smile weakly. Mavda and he explained everything to her and, of course, was she shocked.

"They are back? And Allen... Oh, gods of Aios... Aeron, you´re really going? Back there?" Elena asked her husband, worried for they both knew the dread of the towers.

He nodded and held her hand. Her parents and brothers had listened silent.

"It´s alright. I´ll bring him back home, I promise." Aeron said with a reassuring smile on his lips.

Elena looked at him with pain, then shook her head.

"I am coming with you. I want to help you!"

Now Aeron shook his head.

"No, who knows what could happen. I don´t want you to be in danger as well. Please, Elena, don´t worry me even more. I know you could help me, but... This time, I think, I am the one who´s afraid..."

Elena hugged him and held him tightly, a little trembling.

"Promise me, you´re coming back. Both of you... I can´t live without you, Aeron..."

"I am always coming back to you, one way or the other. Never doubt that." gentle he said it, holding onto her with a firm hold.

They looked at each other for a while, until Aeron held out one of his fingers. Elena began to smile and they linked their right index fingers together. No one saw the pure, warm helix of light, which emerged from those two. Only Mavda smiled knowingly and chuckled...


	3. Chapter 2 - A new Journey

**Chapter 2**

**A new Journey**

* * *

Aeron went once more into their little house and walked without hesitation into Elena´s and his room, where he opened a chest at the other side of the door, directly under the window. He had hoped to never need to open that chest, because in there were the clothes he had worn about six years ago. The clothes he needed to fight. Sure his sword was always with him, but that was a habit he could not lose. A trained soldier was a trained soldier. Elena accepted it and understood it, so there had never been a problem, because of this.

Almost reverentially did he look at his old armor. Sometimes he thought he might fear it. It was his own symbol, that there was no peace, that there was something wrong... and it was somewhat right.

After he had finished to dress himself, he sighed relieved. He had been afraid, that the armor might not fit him anymore, because he had now more muscles than he had back then, a few years ago. He still didn´t look like a muscle-man, but still...

He smiled weakly. He remembered that Elena always blushed a little and looked away, when she praised his body and that Allen always told all the people in the village, that he had the strongest father.

"Well, can we go now, Aeron?" the old Vestran said, standing in the door frame.

"Of course, Mavda. Let´s go."

He grabbed his sword and took his twinblades and military scythe out of the chest and followed the old woman, who knew better than anyone else in the world, how to get to the towers.

* * *

The days had went by quite quickly and soon they would have reached the towers, if...

"Why are there monsters here in the field?" Aeron raised an eyebrow, wondering.

"Who knows? Maybe the one who got your boy knows that you´d be coming?"

"Fine... Then I greet him just as friendly..." the blond hero smirked.

Aeron took his twinblades out and his sword away. Most of the monsters were these wolf-like creatures, so he needed more speed and the blades were just the right weapons for them. He sprinted ahead of Mavda and surprised a nearby wolf who could only give off a suppressed howl before it died. A few noticed him and ran to him to attack him with fletched teeth. Aeron avoided the first attack jumps and slit his enemies backs. They howled pained and growled at him, now mad. Aeron winded his chain around two of the four and landed a clean combo attack on them, through which they died and disappeared into ashes. Two and a whole, wide field left of them. Aeron sighed. This could take him a while...

* * *

Aeron and Mavda stood before the old Observatory.

"Well, then. I´ll be waiting here for you to come back. Just use the chain to climb up the towers." gravely nodding her head the old woman grinned, while saying that.

Aeron nodded and turned around.

"Well, I am off then. Take care of yourself, Mavda."

"Tee he he! Sure!"

He ran as fast as he could, only his little son in mind.

* * *

The towers were just as he remembered: Full of monsters and a creation of wonders. He stepped inside the twelfth and eleventh tower, because they were connected to each other in a bizarre way, a dreary place indeed and went through the rooms. Of course not without monster interferences. Then he stood before the great door to the thirteenth tower – the heart – where he thought to find his son. But there was a problem. The door was sealed, not with chains, as he knew it, but with a force field. Fine! He went back into the first tower, the Treetop Tower.

The Tower consisted of at least three circuits and a lot of fallen apart rooms and floors. The entrance hall was one of the circuits, in the middle the gigantic statue of one of the gods of Aios with the symbol of wood. After he went up the first steps, leading up from the entrance door, Aeron stood in that entrance hall. To his left was but rubble, fallen from above, blocking the way, to his right was the way open and a stair case that was a few meters up broken apart and unusable. Aeron walked along the way and stopped in the middle between two doors. One door was stationed to the east and the other to the north, beside it the path blocked. The blond warrior crinkled his forehead in thought. If his memory served him right was the north one a shortcut to an elevator, so he went and opened it, going through into a room that was unlike many other ones, quite whole and not broken apart. He stepped onto the elevator platform and activated the switch with his chain. When he arrived at the end, he stood in another room, to his left another elevator, but he ignored that one, for he knew that it only led into a dead end and went through the door ahead of him, instead.

Now he was in another circuit room, in the middle the lush and green top of a wondrous, gigantic, upside down growing tree. To his left a broken down path and to his right a path that was midway broken, yet before that had a door, leading to the next room. Aeron went ahead towards the door and felt a little uneasy. The whole time, since he had entered the tower had he seen not one of the monsters that were previously living in the building. As his mind wandered and he thought about this strangeness, a Hornet appeared before him, out of nowhere as it seemed to him and attacked him with a strange fluid. The fluid hit his closed eyes and Aeron cursed. He could not wipe the strange, gluey, wet substance off, nor cleanse his eyes with something, so he had to fight blind.

Aeron heard the buzzing of the Hornet clearly, could feel, how it´s fast wings flapped rapidly and pushed the air, creating light wind around itself. The blond smiled, winningly and dashed towards the Hornet, which evaded to the right, only to get pierced through by the fast Oraclos Chain and falling lifeless to the ground with a twitching body. As he felt the death of the Hornet, Aeron relaxed himself. He immediately regretted it, because a Ogre fell from above, landing behind him and swinging one arm, which threw Aeron through the room and let himself end up in the wall. The warrior gasped for breath, for the hit had pushed the air out of his lungs. Cowering on the ground and gasping, the Ogre approached him slowly, growling ferociously and seemingly smiling. A bit staggering, Aeron stood up, calming his racing heart and listening to his surroundings.

The Ogre was slow, but the former Athosian knew that the beast could be quite fast for it´s bulky built or become a rolling bullet on the ground. Aeron took his sword into his hands, careful moving towards the creature. The beast growled and ran forward, lifting his fists and ready to punch him, but Aeron rolled to the side, evading one punch and swinging his sword, inflicting a wound across the monsters belly. Ogre howled in pain and now let a rain of punches hit onto Aeron. The blond switched to a block stance and hoped he wouldn´t break down under the pressure. When the last punch hit him however he staggered backwards and almost fell over. The former soldier gripped his sword tightly, huffing and dashed forward, the Ogre yet again ready to punch him, but Aeron was faster, with one swift strike did he deal the beast the deathblow. He had sensed how the left arm of the monster had gone up in readiness and so he used the remembrance in his mind to find the heart of the beast, where his sword now had pieced through, with everything in between and after. The Ogre slumped, giving a last surprised tone and then fell over, disappearing into strange dust, that simply vanished, like always when something died in the towers. Relieved he sighed and took his sword away.

Aeron went through the door, the next and the next one and so on, passing through the rooms. Only in one did he stay a little longer. It was a room where only two wells were placed beside the door, one which gave water at night and one which gave water at day. He stepped in front of the one with water and filled his hands with the crystal clear wet and splashed it into his face. He washed off the disgusting substance from his face and sighed relieved. It was not a bad thing to be blind, but it was surely more comfortable to have access to all of ones senses. Aeron took another hand full of water out of the well to quench his thirst and ventured on.

In one room then, where no stair to go up or down was or door to go through, only a chain door where one of the seal chains had been in, did he climb up a wall, where he could find a hold to climb and stood in a small staircase at the end. Aeron skipped a few of the steps as he proceeded and stood then in the open, before a huge, metallic, green door – the master door. He could not help himself, but gulp, as his hands touched the cold metal. For a moment he hesitated, but then pushed the door open and entered. A huge room, lush with green and full of sunlight, just as he remembered, but he found nothing here, nothing at all. Aeron was disheartened and fell on his behind, sitting in the grass, giving a heavy sigh. He had not expected to find Allen here, but at least something that could be of use or give him some kind of clue. Instead there was nothing...

The Oraclos Chain in his hand trembled a little and gave off a soft, warm light. Aeron looked to the chain, lifting his head, he had dropped onto his chest and his eyes widened. In his mind he could see Elena, smiling and humming a beautiful tune, while holding a small, laughing baby with a golden coating on his little head. As she raised her head her smile became even more beautiful and her gaze that had looked so gentle at the baby, was now tender. The baby, noticing him, extended one of his little arms towards him, laughing brightly. Aeron could hear Elena´s voice clearly as she said:

"Oh, Aeron! Welcome back! I was just humming a song for Allen. Do you want to listen, too?"

As he heard and saw that, a smile adorned his lips, brightening up his mood and giving him a little push to continue. He remembered that scene. It was one of the days, when Allen had been just a few months old and Elena would stand in the living room, waiting for him to come home and passing the time with humming songs to Allen. As he arrived, she would always ask him, if he wanted to listen, too and so they ended up sitting on the couch and him and Allen falling asleep through Elena´s soft, warm songs. Aeron stood up and nodded his head. It was too early for him to give up now, so he turned around and left the room in haste, off to explore the other towers anew.

In the wet, complicated structured Wellspring Steeple with his up flowing waters and huge water wheel, did he find something then. The master of the tower was back. Just as nasty and annoying as he remembered it, maybe even a little more so, because it was a little different than before. He defeated it and a bell was heard throughout the towers, an unfamiliar bell.

Aeron ran through the towers one after the other, but not in every tower did he find the masters again. It was tough for him, especially without almost no break and with the masters being a little different than he remembered. They got new tactics, were more aggressive and sometimes wore some kind of armor.

* * *

After he had been through all the the other towers, he went back to the eleventh and twelfth. Exactly at the moment he wanted to pass through the last room, did the two masters appear before him once again, just like in old times. Aeron sighed and shook his head, a little annoyed. Couldn´t they have come out the first time he was here?

They started their attacks with a combo and attacked him from both sides, with light beams. Aeron evaded the attack and tried to observe them, but it seemed almost impossible. They attacked him without pause and with time Aeron became slower and got hit. He was thrown through the room and crashed into the wall. When he landed on the floor, one of the two masters flew in high speed towards him and he bound the Oraclos Chain around it and threw it through the room and against a wall. Then he jumped towards the second one, bound his chain around it as well, dragged it on the ground and stabbed it into it´s heart. It screamed and rolled around, then fell silent. Aeron completely destroyed it´s heart and turned towards the twin. That one screamed out of anger and flew again with high speed into Aerons way. At the last moment he jumped over it, bound it and landed on it. He stabbed it with his sword and the master turned a little up, what Aeron had hoped for, for it´s heart laid now free. With one strike did he cut the heart in half and jumped off again. A last scream from his enemy and everything was silent.

Aeron sighed. He was tired but without a break did he ran towards the thirteenth tower...


	4. Chapter 3 - Finally The End

**Chapter 3**

**Finally... the End...**

* * *

Heavily breathing stood Aeron before the huge doors to the thirteenth tower and could finally open them. Lightly trembling did he open them and was blinded by the light of the morning sun. He stepped through and the doors closed themselves behind him with a loud noise. Here he stood once more in this room or maybe he should call it a place, for it seemed to open to the sky, so it was a little strange for him, to call it a room. Back then, about six years ago, did he find a little, broken toy on the ground, which Elena later assumed to be the toy-horse of the boy Ruben.

Aeron breathed deep in and out to calm himself. Here, somewhere, had to be his own little boy, their precious Allen. Without any more hesitation did he begin to walk up the long stairs, that were winding themselves around the tallest tower of the building, like a snake.

At the very top, where a little garden had formed, did he stop and looked around. There was only one person, a tall man clad in black and grey. Aeron took his sword and moved slowly forward, but then...

"It is nice to meet you, Aeron. I am not surprised to see you here. After all, did I kidnap your son, right?" the stranger said with tease in his voice.

The man turned around and smiled. He had black short hair and the same yellow eyes as Mavda...

"Are you... one of the Vestra?" Aeron asked suspiciously.

The man nodded.

"Yes, that is correct. My name is Gorsan, nice to meet you in person, Aeron."

"Then why did you do all this?! You must know what happened here! How horrifying it was! So, then, why?!"

Gorsan chuckled amused and Aeron could see a dark spark in his eyes.

"Horrifying, you say? I think it more wonderful! Can´t you see? We Vestra are so powerful, why should we bow then to the likes of your king, I ask you? It was completely stupid of our ancestors and so will I erase that mistake, by conquering everything."

Aeron reduced his eyes to slits and glared at him.

"Plain said: You just want to own the world, because you think your race deserves it..."

"Exactly. And am I not right with that? Do you know anyone else with so much power?"

Aeron shook his head.

"Ruling should not be committed with power, but with care and understanding. Just like raising a child, needs a king to raise his country. Unfortunate... only the fewest seem to understand that and are also able to accomplish that."

Gorsan laughed loud out.

"From which fairytale are you coming from, my boy? I thought you were an Athosian soldier, born in Ilios?! You sound almost pathetic! If I wouldn´t know that you just recently fought yourself through a horde of monsters, I would think you forgot how to fight!"

He laughed on, his head thrown into his neck and his hand held above his closed eyes against the sun. When he fell silent he looked again to Aeron, who still scrutinized him, not knowing how to act best in this situation. Gorsan smiled.

"Anyway, aren´t you curious why I kidnapped your adorable little son?" he asked and a foreboding feeling overcame Aeron.

Aeron tensed up and didn´t move one inch, he almost did not dare to breathe.

"Simple..." Gorsan continued. "You are using the Oraclos Chain, aren´t you? It is the most powerful item we Vestra created. It can decide destinies and can control them. It is a truly fearsome chain, but it cannot be used by just anyone. I don´t know why you can use it and to be honest, I don´t really care why, I just need to know that you can. Anyway... I created another Oraclos Chain, one that would fit my needs and I needed someone who could wield it for me. I tried it out myself, but it... went a little out of hand I might say. I think you know of the result of my experiment. After all did I undergo it in Helycon, the capital of Elyria."

Aeron was shocked. He guessed what Gorsan meant and it had been terrible. He had heard the news a few weeks before all this had begun. It was said that something unknown had gone wild in the capital and that a few hundred people had died as consequence. The king, obviously, did not want to have a nation wide panic, which is why he kept most of the incident in the dark. Apalled, Aeron glared at the man before him, almost spitting out the next words he said to him:

"So you can´t control the chain you created, and...? What is your point? Why kidnap my son for this? I am the one who can control it."

"Yes, yes... But I don´t think you would willingly do what I wish, is it? And brainwashing you would surely just be a waste of time. So, I thought... If the father can control the chain, maybe the same power flows within his son... And what would you know? It worked!"

"What?!"

And behind him appeared a little boy with a similar chain to his own in hands. It was Allen with strange looking eyes. Unharmed it seemed... But probably not his mind, Aeron thought. He called a few times out to his son, but without reaction.

"Oh, don´t even try it. It took me quite some time, I admit he´s a stubborn one, but only a few hours ago did I succeed in controlling his mind. You´ve really got an interesting young lad as son, Aeron."

An eerie smirk crept on Gorsan´s face and remained there, while he observed Aerons unbelieving expression, that he could have made it in time to save his son, if he had been just a little faster.

"Anyway, Aeron. I don´t need you here, so why don´t you just leave and don´t get on my nerves?" Gorsan said with annoyance in his voice.

Aeron shook his head to be able to think straight again.

"As if! I am not going without my son!"

"Fine, as you wish... Allen? Stop that fool from interfering with me."

Allen nodded his head and took some steps towards his father.

Aeron stepped back. What should he do now? He could not fight his child... Elena´s and his hope! Not knowing what to do now, did he turn around and ran the stairs back down. Maybe he could find a way to bring him back, when Gorsan wasn´t there.

* * *

He stopped at one of the landings between the stairs and turned around. He could see how his son followed him, without Gorsan as planned.

When he reached the landing Allen stopped as well, looking to his father with empty eyes.

He slowly raised the fake Oraclos Chain, that was glimmering in an unnatural light.

What in the world had Gorsan used to create this eerie thing?

Allen threw the chain and the Vestran was right. His son could control the chain perfectly just like he himself could. Aeron grit his teeth. What should he do? He evaded the chain, while his son continued to step forward. Aeron was bleeding all over his body. Even if he could evade so that he wouldn´t get killed, but hit did he get nonetheless. Aeron mumbled a curse. How long could this go on?

And then could he feel a tremor, as if something huge had just landed on the ground from a very high place. The ground shook, as something moved towards them from upstairs and a few minutes later could Aeron see what the cause was: A giant monster that resembled a lizard was crawling down the stairs. Aeron was a little reminded of Zeron, who had run down theses stairs, chasing him.

A shiver ran down his spine in remembrance of that event and he took out his military scythe in exchange for his sword. He needed speed to evade his sons chain, but first should he get rid of that giant lizard, that was far more dangerous in his eyes.

Aeron threw his chain toward the lizards head, so he could find a way to climb it, but got blocked by Allen, who threw his fake chain in the way. Aeron gripped his scythe tightly and ran towards his son. He got scratched deeply a few times, but never too seriously. When he had reached his son he tricked him, made a somersault over him and winded his chain around the neck of the lizard. Then he swung himself on the bag of the monster out of his sons reach, who stood there confused, not knowing where his enemy had disappeared to.

The lizard shook around, trying to get rid of it´s unwanted passenger. Aeron had to hold on tightly to not fall off and crawled bit for bit forward. When he reached the head of the beast he slung the other end of the chain around his hips, to not fall as easily and if he fell to come up fast again. Then he took the scythe into both hands and swung it over his head directly into the neck of the scaled beast.

It screamed and tried even harder to shake him off, but did not succeed. Aeron repeated that attack a few times, until the lizard fell silent and half of his head had been decapitated. The lizard fell to the side and fell down the tower, where it landed on the earth with a loud noise and tremor, that shook the ground and made some of the stones of the tower get loose.

But at that moment, his son reached the side of the landing between the stairs, which showed to the sky, and the stone under Allen´s feet began to crumble and fell down. Allen slipped and was in danger to fall as well, but...

A chain wound itself around him and Aeron pulled him up. His son tried to free himself from the Oraclos Chain that bound him, but then the chain emitted a soft light and Allen became silent. He stopped moving and fell over, where he landed in his fathers arms.

What had happened? Was he all right? Aeron´s eyes went over to the ominous chain his son had carried and put it away into one of his bags. Mavda should be able to take care of it. Allen mumbled something, then opened his eyes wide. When he realised that he was in his father´s arms he sighed relieved. Aeron released his son from the chain and looked at him.

"Are you alright, Allen? How are you feeling?"

"Well, I don´t know how you adults feel after drinking too much alcohol, but I guess I got a pretty good picture of that now, cause I feel just like that, I think." Allen said, while placing a hand on his throbbing head.

Aeron laughed hard and hugged his son, relieved.

"I see... Well, that can´t feel good!"

Allen nodded and looked around.

"Where is that old man, that brought me here?" he asked curiously.

"He´s upstairs and is probably waiting for you... But I´ll give him a nice surprise, don´t worry."

"But, Dad! Maybe that can help us!"

Aeron looked at his little boy.

"What are you planning, Allen?"

"Well... I could just play to be his puppet and return to him and if he thinks you´re weakened enough you can catch him off guard!"

"No! That´s far too dangerous for you! If you´d be older, maybe, but..." Aeron wanted to continue, but got cut off by Allen.

"Dad! The towers and the chain are also my responsibility! You can´t force me to look away! And you always say what one begins has one to end!"

His red-brown eyes looked stubborn into the dark ones of his father. Aeron sighed. That child was too much like Elena and himself...

"Fine, but first show me how well you can use that chain."

Aeron took his Oraclos Chain off and gave it to his son, who looked at him questioning.

"If it gets too dangerous or he finds out that somethings wrong, I want you to use this. So, show me what you got. Otherwise I won´t let you through." Aeron replied, while crossing his arms before his chest.

Allen smiled and nodded. They went all the way down to the place shortly before the two doors and the little boy got his first lesson in weapon use.

After fifteen minutes Aeron was satisfied. His son must be a natural. Then again... Everyone had said the same thing about himself, when he was younger and had his first lesson...

"So, can we do that plan of mine now?" Allen asked his father with an excited glimmer in his eyes.

Aeron nodded.

"But you´ll go with my chain."

"But, Dad..." complained Allen.

"Just say I destroyed his fake and you could steal the original from me. I know lying is bad and I don´t want you to do it in the future, but this is an emergency, okay?"

Allen nodded and they went upstairs again.

"I´ll stay here and don´t worry, it´s going to be alright." the former soldier said.

Allen went further upstairs until he reached the garden at the top. Gorsan waited already impatiently for him and looked up when he arrived.

"Strange... Something seems different... And where is the chain I gave you?"

"The man destroyed masters chain, but I could steal this chain from him, because he was so weakened." said the blond boy, raising the chain in his arms.

Allen showed him the Oraclos Chain and Gorsan smiled triumphed.

"I see! Very good work! No wonder you seem different. This chain could even change a stone if it wanted to! Wonderful! But... I can still feel Aerons presence... You didn´t kill him?"

"He escaped me."

Gorsan nodded and then smiled.

"Well, if he is that weak, I´ll go and kill him myself. No need to find him troubling me later, right? Let´s go, Allen."

Gorsan and the boy went down the stairs. At the very bottom did he found Aeron then. He laid on the ground and was seemingly bleeding very strongly.

"Well, well, Aeron... It seems this is going to be your end. I must say it doesn´t fit you one bit. I thought you were somewhat a hero character, but I guess not..." the Vestra said, followed by clangorous laughter.

Gorsan walked around him and when he was behind him, with his back to him, Aeron moved swiftly, caught the Oraclos Chain he got from Allen and bound the Vestra together.

Gorsan was surprised and looked fierce at the two, who looked so similar to each other.

"Why aren´t you killing me?" he asked them, suspiciously.

Aeron shrugged his shoulders, then smiled amused with a tad evil glimmering in his eyes. He wasn´t the type to like the suffering of other people, but by the gods! This man had made him boil with anger!

"I think Mavda will have a nice punishment for you, that´s all." he said as if talking about the weather.

Indeed, Mavda would give him one hell of a punishment! As they had journeyed to the towers, had the old Vestran-woman quite clearly shown how she despised this foolish act of, whoever it had been, reviving the towers.

The Gorsan went pale like a sheet, looking at Aeron as if he was seeing the greatest terror in the world.

"M-Mavda...? The Mavda...?"

"I don´t know which Mavda you mean, but I mean an old Vestran-woman with her husband on her back." Aeron replied with a nasty grin on his lips.

"No! No! Please! Everything, but her!" the Vestra cried in despair.

Gorsan shivered from head to toe, his whole being paralyzed by fear, his eyes constantly looking around, as an idea seemed to form in his head, an idea which seemed to be his last resort, Aeron mused.

Suddenly the Oraclos Chain binding him began to glow strangely and the old man as well. He mumbled something strange and before Aeron could do anything a white flash appeared an blinded them. When they looked up again, was the old man blabbering some nonsense and behaved like a baby.

"Daddy?" Allen asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I think the chain stole his mind, or so..."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Aeron replied a bit stunned.

"Why did he do that to himself?"

"I don´t know... Maybe Mavda´s more scary than I first thought... Allen?"

Allen looked at his father, who still looked at the Vestra, then his father continued.

"Remind me to never get on Mavda´s bad side, won´t you? I´m kind of afraid to find out what could happen."

The boy nodded and hugged his father.

"I understand that, Daddy. Me too."

They looked at each other and began to laugh.

"You know, I think you´ll like the old lady. She´s a little weird, but a good person." said Aeron with a big smile and they went towards the exit, leaving Gorsan behind.

The way out of the towers they remained silent, until they arrived at the observatory, where Mavda already waited. Smiling, knowing, like always...


	5. Epilogue - Freed Souls

**Epilogue**

**Freed Souls**

* * *

Mavda held the Oraclos Chain in one hand and the fake one in the other. She mumbled some unknown words and slowly, almost unnoticeable did the fake chain crack and crumble. When only the end part of the chain was left and that as well cracked, came streams of light out of the chain link and they went toward the blue sky, giving Aeron and Allen a warm and gentle feeling.

"Those were... the souls of the people of Helycon, weren´t they, Mavda?" Aeron asked with a sad gaze.

Mavda nodded with a smile and the old man pointed at the stream of light.

"!&%$§/?!"

Mavda smiled even more and looked towards father and son, who were staring at the beautiful scene in the sky.

"He said that the souls said "thank you" to the both of you and that their now finally happy."

Allen laughed and tugged at his fathers leg, who looked down at him.

"Then let´s go home, daddy, so that mom can be happy, too!"

Aeron placed his hand on the head of his son and smiled.

"Right... Let´s go home, to our own happiness!"

**The End**


End file.
